Many women (in fact, one study suggests up to 80% of pregnant women) experience “morning sickness” as early as 6 weeks. If you have experienced nausea during pregnancy, you know that the name is very misleading. For some it is in the morning, but for many it lasts all day or comes about randomly during the day. It often peaks around 8-9 weeks and for many subsides around 14 weeks. It may come with some good days, some really bad days, and many days that just feel “blah”.
Here are some things to try at home:
· Acupuncture. Stimulation of acupuncture point PC6 has shown to help nausea in pregnancy. Your acupuncturist may send you home with “seeds” to stimulate the point after your treatment. This point is also what is stimulated when wearing seabands!
· Hydration + electrolytes. Stay hydrated and consider drinks with electrolytes like NOOMA (use ‘MOTHERSDEN15’ for 15% off!!) or LMNT! Electrolytes help with morning sickness because they are putting the good stuff back in your body! Some women find that water doesn’t sit well with them with nausea.
· Ginger and peppermint. Whether you are using teas, foods, or essential oils, both of these have been used for centuries to help with nausea.
· Foods. Track your nausea and notice if you have any trigger foods, or foods that make you feel worse on days that you eat them. Try eating smaller meals and eating before you get hungry. Nausea is common on an empty stomach. For some women, a protein shake or smoothie may be an easier way to get some calories in! Protein will help keep your blood sugar stable. Eat what you can, when you can. Don’t beat yourself up if the thought of eating vegetables makes you sick.
· Stay active. Being physically active can reduce nausea symptoms during pregnancy, even if it is just taking short walks.
· Vitamins + supplements. There are some studies that show taking B6 for morning sickness can improve nausea (without vomiting) in pregnant women! If there is no relief with B6 alone, after 4-5 days, trying the combination of B6 + unisom may be beneficial (however, unisom can cause drowsiness).
Some women try everything holistic, even medication, and don’t report any changes in their nausea. If you have any concerns about your nausea, talk to your care provider. There is a distinction between morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum, which is severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and electrolyte disturbance.
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